


Concord of Lions

by otapocalypse



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Developing Relationship, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 13:14:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13659720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/otapocalypse/pseuds/otapocalypse
Summary: When an alliance is formed between the Voltron Coalition and the son of Zarkon himself, things are bound to get shaky. Who better to smooth things over than professional communications specialist Matthew Holt?





	Concord of Lions

**Author's Note:**

> I about died 12 times getting this to you all. Rated for later chapters. Tags to be added

_Attention Paladins of Voltron and rebel fighters!_

_I know we’ve had our differences in the past but…_

_I think it is time we had a discussion._

The words caused a frenzy of stirrings, but no one dared voice their protests. Matt could think of several of his own at the moment, but stayed quiet, instead looking to Olia. She was silent, staring hard at the screen before her. Matt and the other rebel fighters could see easily what was going on outside the ship. Lotor’s fighter had stopped its assault, and was drifting slowly closer to the Castle of Lions, ominous as a snake. The Coalition had drifted closer together, with the rebel ships forming a protective circle around the castle, but Matt was still torn. He watched as the odd ship crept closer to them all. Still Olia stood firm, offering no instruction, and Matt grew increasingly anxious. There was still the issue of-

“Keith! Stop!” Shiro’s voice rang loud in Matt’s ear as Keith’s Galra ship suddenly darted from the ring, heading straight for Lotor. Matt and the rest of the rebels watched in horror as the crafts collided, hard, and the force of Keith’s sudden attack sent both ships drifting back. Their distance wasn't Matt’s concern, however. 

“He's going to destroy what truce there was before it's even started!” Olia barked, suddenly leaning over her station with her teeth bared. Matt winced again as she shouted sharply into her mic. “Get him out of there!” But Lotor didn't attack, and Keith seemed to have no fight left in him, his own cruiser seemingly stuck to Lotor’s, and neither ship attacking as Voltron dared to drift closer. Matt held his breath as Shiro spoke again.

“Keith, what were you thinking!? Stand down!”

“We can’t trust him!” The other responded, almost in a snarl. The mic crackled with the force of his voice, and Matt slowly raised a hand to his head, pressing his palm against his temple.

“He saved our lives, Keith.” Shiro’s voice came back, low, as if he were having a private conversation. Matt shifted uncomfortably. If only Shiro knew how true his statement was…

“He did it for his own gain!”

“Paladins, I am awaiting your answer. I do hope that little bump I felt earlier was not your final one,” Lotor’s voice rang out again, and Matt tensed. He heard Keith’s growl rumble in his headset, overlapping Shiro’s attempt to speak. Matt glanced over as Olia sighed, still bent over her station.

“Matt.” She said expectantly, without looking up. “I can’t listen to them argue anymore; they're going to lose us our alliance.” Matt nodded, pulling his mic into place.

“Keith, we have to be united in our decision. If he senses any weakness, he will use us for his own gain. And infighting is a weakness.” He reminded, tension hardening his voice. “Whether any of us like it or not, we need Lotor. At this point in our fight, his information at the very least will aid us, much less anything else he has to offer. Let's have this discussion he's talking about and see if his goals match up with our own.”

“I'm not letting him in the castle with weapons-”

“And if they don't, then we can go from there.” Matt said sternly. When there was only frustrated silence from the other, he softened his voice. “Let him go, Keith. This fight is over.”

There was a long, tense pause, during which Matt was afraid his words hadn't been enough, but then a collective sigh left his comrades, and he watched as Keith’s ship slowly detached itself from Lotor’s, reluctantly drifting back to the Coalition. Matt could hear Shiro sighing into the mic, before broadcasting his own voice out into space.

“The Coalition accepts your offer, Lotor son of Zarkon. You will board the Castle of Lions unarmed and will be greeted by the Paladins of Voltron. No harm will come to you so long as you board unarmed. You will be searched and, if weapons are discovered on your person, you will be detained until further notice-” Matt had to stifle a sigh at this- “Proceed to the Castle of Lions as instructed.”

Matt continued to fidget in his seat. As finely as Shiro had worded their demands, he couldn't help but feel continuing to treat Lotor as the enemy was not the answer. It only further cemented the idea that a compromise was impossible- and without a compromise, Lotor was an enemy again, and the Coalition would have one more fight on its hands.

The rebels watched, quiet no longer as Lotor gave no verbal answer, his ship beginning to drift towards the port that had opened in the castle. Voltron had since disbanded, the lions returning before Lotor could reach the castle, defenseless as it was. Mutterings of betrayal and other such pessimistic things had already begun, and did not stop until Olia’s voice cut sharply through the din.

“Matt, get down there.” The severity of the order made him turn. “I want you to represent the rebel fighters in this discussion. You have experience in mediating alliances and you know our goals well. I'm guessing Keith will be bringing the Blade's demands to the table, in addition to the Paladins’ own plans. I don't want our voice to be silenced.” Matt nodded, standing. “I know you have a personal investment in this fight as well.” She continued, softer. “But I trust you not to lose sight of what is important.” He nodded again.

“I won't let you down.”

Too soon, he was approaching the castle, having taken a small tender vessel from the larger rebel ship.

“Coran, I'm boarding the castle.” He announced, rather informal but, under the circumstances, Matt doubted anyone would mind. He had made it there after Lotor- likely the prince had already been searched and escorted deeper into the ship- but thankfully Coran wasted no time in opening up the port again, and Matt landed his own vessel alongside Lotor’s.

It gave him the chance to survey the other's tastes up close for the first time. The ship was huge, likely a stolen fighter, Matt thought, though he'd never seen such a vessel in the possession of the Galra. No identifying markings as far as he could tell, though the ship was unique enough in its own right, and nothing to suggest Lotor was allied with the Galra, or any other race for that matter. If Matt didn't know any better, he would say the ship matched the hodgepodge of rebel fighters more than anything else. It was interesting, perhaps even something he could use.

The scene he walked in on was not one he'd expected. Matt had been bracing himself for some sort of chaos- arguments in front of their new ally, weapons drawn, or even a form of imprisonment already taking place. He was pleasantly surprised, however, to find Team Voltron acting civil, though they looked rather unhappy, standing in a ring around one end of the large dining table typically used for political meetings. On the other end, the prince himself stood calmly, though he did wear a cocky grin on his face. Matt took one look at the sheer amount of distance the two sides had put between each other, and felt just a bit more discouraged. This was going to be harder than he initially thought.

Matt made his way over to the small gathering, forcing a smile as Pidge met his eye, before turning to Coran and the princess. 

“Did you already search him?” He asked, keeping his voice low.

“He is unarmed.” Allura answered, her tone matching his own, “But we must decide on our terms quickly. How will he best serve us? Do we trust him to stay in his own ship? And where is Keith?” She added, addressing the whole gathering. A few shrugs, and Allura gave up with a sigh, turning away. Matt felt a bit bad for her, but there wasn't much to be done until Keith had arrived.

As if summoned there by his name alone, the man appeared only a second later, striding quickly through one of the doors to the side. Matt tensed as Keith brought a darker mood along with him, almost like a cloud. What was previously a slight annoyance and exasperation among their forces, was now a discomfort and a realization of just how monumental a task lay before them. Matt watched as Keith fired an evil eye at Lotor, before turning to join the rest of the Coalition.

“What are we doing?” He hissed. “You can't seriously be thinking of letting him join us; just minutes ago he was trying to kill us!”

“He saved our lives. All of us, Keith.” Shiro said softly, spreading his arms. Pidge, Hunk, and Lance exchanged glances, before looking back to Keith doubtfully. None of them seemed to want to go against their former teammate’s wishes, but it was clear they agreed with Shiro. “And he did it by attacking Haggar… He didn't just save us, he fought off the other Galra.” Shiro pointed out. He was using that soft, private-conversation voice again, and again Matt shifted uncomfortably, averting his eyes. “Consider that, for a second. He's no longer fighting alongside his father. Or alongside the Galra at all. He isn't on their side-”

“He isn't on either side.” Keith glanced over. The prince seemed unconcerned, patiently studying his nails. “He's on his own side; there isn't just For Galra or Against Galra, it's more complicated than that. He has his own goals.”

“And if those goals match up with ours?” Shiro’s eyes softened. “Keith, you're so worried about him using us, but we could easily be using him. He has knowledge, experience, technology that will greatly aid our fight. I think it's well worth the risk, don't you?” There was a pause, and then Keith sighed, crossing his arms.

“I need to know there's a plan in place in case he deserts. A solid plan. Otherwise the Blade will not agree to this alliance.”

Shiro nodded, stepping back. “We will assign a guard to him, as well as someone to be on watch in the control room at all times. That surveillance should be sufficient enough to know if he attempts to leave, and when it happens. At any suspicious activity, we'll detain him and extract information ourselves using the castle's technology. If he makes it into his ship, or even into space, we'll deploy Voltron to chase him down.”

Keith didn't seem completely satisfied with that answer, but relented nonetheless, stepping back and offering no more protests. Matt, however, stepped forward.

“We agree the alliance would be worth the risk,” he began, “But where will he stay? And who will this guard be? You Paladins must be ready to form Voltron at any time. The Blade is busy with their own missions and is already low on members. It’s the same case for the rebels, and someone must be in charge of the castle. Yet, we can’t imprison him. If we're too harsh, we'll lose a very important piece in this game- Lotor is royalty. He's a strategist. And he knows the Empire and its inner workings more completely than any of us can claim, even the Blade.” He gestured to Keith, inviting the other to prove him wrong, but received only a reluctant nod. “His value to us is, frankly, endless. What if he believes your terms are too strict? You have to be willing to give some in order to keep him around. Every man added to our cause increases our probability of succeeding, every ship, every race. But never before have we managed to recruit someone so influential. I urge you to consider that.”

“But how much can we give?” Keith cut in, though the anger had faded from his eyes. “You say we can't imprison him, but we can't exactly let him roam freely about the castle. With only one guard and one person on surveillance at all times? I think we're being generous. The very qualities that make him valuable to us also make him dangerous. He could easily take out even our best fighter one on one, and he could be to his ship, or worse, the lions, and out of here before we could notify anyone. We can't give any more than this, we're already putting ourselves in enough danger just by allowing him in the castle.”

“He is right.” Shiro pointed out, eyeing Matt. “But we all have to be realistic. As much as I'd like to believe it, I don't think Lotor is only thinking of helping the Voltron Coalition. But at the same time, I don't think he's chomping at the bit to go through the trouble of gaining our trust, only to betray it so quickly in the end. If he were to escape, it wouldn't be a mission of brute force. It would be silent, stealthy. He'd slip away without any fighting at all if he could. Which is why I think the single guard and surveillance will work. We can track his movements, discourage him from making any sort of escape attempt, while still refraining from locking him up, and potentially angering a valuable ally.” Shiro looked from Matt, to Keith. As taxing as it was, Matt could see he was right, and nodded reluctantly. After a moment, Keith slowly did the same. “Good.” Shiro sighed, before turning. “Does everyone agree on the base terms?”

Some reluctant nods, however, nobody spoke, and Shiro must have decided that was good enough, for he turned to Allura. She nodded, and the group fanned out, turning to face Lotor. Typically, there were feasts while negotiating, a party afterwards, the mood much lighter to encourage good relations. Now, there was nothing. Matt lifted his head as Allura spoke.

“Lotor, son of Zarkon. It is good to finally meet you in a setting that is not so… chaotic.” She gestured calmly. “Please, let us sit.” Nobody sat. Lotor refused to take his seat first, standing proudly, with still the same smug smile on his face. A slight at best, but Allura took it in stride, especially with her fellow Paladins standing firm around her. “We, the Paladins of Voltron, the rebel fighters, and the Blade of Marmora have come to the decision to hear your offer of an alliance.” A pause, a breath. “But with the power and protection Voltron offers comes a set of rules. Due to past transgressions of your own against the Coalition, certain privileges will be revoked until further notice.” 

“You will not leave the Castle of Lions, nor board any other ship. You will not carry a weapon on your person and will be accompanied at all times by a selected guard from our own men. Likewise, your position in the castle will be monitored at all times, and any activity we deem suspicious will be met with imprisonment. You will willingly aid us in our fight against the Galra Empire with any skill, knowledge, or technology you may possess. Violation of these rules will end in the same fate. These terms will last as long as our alliance, or until we the Coalition deem you worthy of our trust, and greater freedoms.”

Lotor’s low chuckling caught Allura off guard, and the princess stopped in surprise as the prince spread his arms.

“Well, now, it is no wonder you took so long in responding. So many terms. How am I to aid the Coalition to the best of my ability when I am bound so? No weapon? Confined to the Castle of Lions? Watched at all times? It seems as though you expect me to simply sit around and tell stories about the Empire.” He chuckled again. “No. Surely I can serve you better.”

Matt watched as Allura straightened her spine, lifted her chin. “Very well then. Let us hear what changes you have in mind.”

“Excellent.” The prince stepped back, away from the table, in order to pace, hands crossed neatly behind his back. His body language spoke of thoughtfulness, without seeming anxious. Confidence, without underestimating his opponent. Matt had rarely met one so invested in appearance. It certainly had its effect. “I will be allowed one weapon on my person, and my ship in times of battle. I will be allowed access to all technology in the Castle of Lions, and freedom to use it when and how I please. Finally, I will be allowed to search for my generals, and to bring them into our alliance once they are found. In addition, the Coalition will help me in their location and rescue, in any way that it can.” Lotor stopped pacing, turning to gaze calmly at Allura. A triumphant smile spread across his face as she turned, facing her team once more.

The negotiations became faster then, though Matt followed them as intently as he could, making mental notes of not only Lotor’s behavior and patterns, but that of the Coalition as well. The back and forth between the two sides whittled away at the demands, and at what patience was holding the meeting together. Matt’s fatigue told him they'd debated long into the night once it was all over, and he ran over the evening's decisions in his mind once more in order to better relay them to Olia. Lotor would aid the Coalition in their fight, remain confined to the Castle of Lions, and agree to the surveillance and single guard that had been decided on. In return, he would be allowed use of the castle's computers, access to his ship during battles with the empire, and would be aided in the location of his generals, but would not be allowed to take part in their rescue. An additional boundary agreed upon had been a strict ban on using the cryopods to heal or detain him. Matt had wondered at that, but didn't dare ask about it during the negotiations. No one else had seemed to think much of it, and so he had let it go.

“One more thing.” Lotor spoke up, and Matt could almost feel the dread from Team Voltron at the thought that their night was not yet over. They didn't need to worry, however, as Lotor’s next request was simply, “Let me meet this guard of mine. I am intrigued as to whom I'll be sharing my personal space with.” At this, Allura seemed to brighten up.

“I am so glad you asked.” She raised her arm, remarkably, towards Matt. “Matthew Holt. A skilled scientist and communications expert, mediator, and an adept fighter. I believe his personality and skill set will match our needs for you.” Matt watched as Lotor turned that predatory grin on him, and suddenly felt very wobbly.

“Matthew.” Lotor’s soft voice repeated his name. “I look forward to our time together.” That feral grin again, and Matt could barely manage an affirmative before the group began to disband. Before his duties as babysitter could officially start, Matt rushed after Allura, who was headed for the control room.

“You'll be keeping an eye on him for the Coalition and the rebels.” Olia had said later over the castle's video feed. “And you're skilled in getting people on our side. I think this is a good thing.”

“But why me?” Matt asked, trying not to sound as disgruntled as he felt. “I have my duties with the rebels; I can't abandon them now.”

“You've been training Zy in the technical part, right?” Behind her, Matt could see the druid glance over at the sound of his name. “Do you think he is ready to take on your duties?” Matt sighed; at only 17 years old the druid was unusually adept at the skills needed, and as much as he wanted to deny it, Matt knew the other could handle it. Slowly, he nodded.

“But my job description isn't babysitting princes.” He dared to add in a mutter, cutting his eyes to the side. He saw Olia’s gaze harden.

“Your job description is whatever I deem you fit to do.” She crossed her arms, her tone lightening. “You're our communications specialist. So get out there and communicate with our new ally, specialist.”

The feed cut out, and Matt was left alone, sighing to himself but too tired to argue. It was late, and clear that Olia wouldn't budge. He exited the control room, returning to find Lotor still standing nonchalantly in the same spot as before. At the look Matt gave him, the prince smiled sweetly.

“What is it? I am under orders not to go anywhere without my tour guide. Speaking of…”

“You'll get your tour tomorrow.” Matt said, trying to keep his tone light. Sour attitudes rarely won over allies. “But for now, you must be tired. I assume you realize we'll be sleeping in the same room?”

“Oh, thrilling.” Lotor nearly purred, though Matt could hardly find it believable. The other approached, and Matt found he had to tilt his head slightly back to keep eye contact.

“Yes.” Was all he said, keeping his gaze and words cool. “Come on.” He turned. They'd been assigned a small two-man bunker in the core of the ship, the theory being if Lotor escaped, he would at least have to fight or sneak his way through the majority of the castle before he reached his ship. The furnishings were bare, but Matt could hardly bring himself to care as Lotor, surprisingly, went straight to one of the beds, sitting but not yet lying down. Matt suspected it'd been a while since the man had allowed himself the vulnerability of a proper sleep.

“What are you nervous about?” Matt asked once he had settled in. He couldn't help but stiffen as two eyes reflected back at him through the darkness.

“I am not nervous.” Lotor insisted calmly. “But it would be foolish of me to let my guard down on the first night of being in the clutches of the Voltron Coalition.”

“The clutches? That sounds like nerves to me.” Matt smirked, before staring at the ceiling. “We've already promised not to harm you. And this is the Coalition, not the Galra Empire. We don't bring needless harm.”

“Some would disagree.”

Matt paused at this. Of course he had managed to win the majority of races he'd met over, but there were still those who were not touched by witty slogans and well-planned speeches. That, he could not deny.

“Well then, I will have to do whatever it takes to keep our alliance alive.”

“Going to protect me?” Matt could hear the grin in Lotor’s voice. “My hero.”

When Matt did not give the sentiment an answer, he heard Lotor sigh contentedly.

“And so the Concord of Lions begins.”


End file.
